Tear 4 large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each about 12×18 inches. Gently press each sheet down into a shallow, individual foil tray shape with raised sides so juices will stay contained. Set the trays aside.
Peel the potatoes and slice them into thin rounds, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Peel the carrots and slice them into thin coins. Keeping the slices fairly even helps everything cook at the same pace and get tender.
Divide the sliced potatoes evenly among the 4 foil trays, spreading them out in a single layer or slightly overlapping. Top the potatoes in each tray with an even layer of sliced carrots. These vegetables will sit under the meat and soak up all the flavorful juices as they cook.
Place the ground beef in a bowl and sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the top. Use your hands to gently mix until the seasoning is worked through the meat, but don’t overmix or the patties can turn out dense.
Divide the seasoned ground beef into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a thick, flat patty about the size of your palm, then lay one patty on top of the vegetables in each foil tray. Press lightly so the patty rests firmly on the potatoes and carrots but still holds its shape.
Bring the sides of each foil tray up slightly to make sure there are no tears or gaps along the bottom or corners. You want a shallow tray shape, not a tightly wrapped packet, so steam can rise but the juices stay mostly contained around each portion.
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